Day 4
Lisa Sheffler, author
Listen at bit.ly/EngageGodDaily
In our desire to apply the Bible to our lives, we can forget about the original people to whom it was written. I’m convinced that we lose something when we do that. Paul was writing to real people — men and women who had their share of blessings and hardships, but who ultimately responded to the good news about Jesus and committed their lives to him. At last they knew about the God who loved them and gave himself for them. They served a king unlike Caesar, who only wanted their good. They knew what it meant to feel known and loved by a God who related to them as Father. But their faith was in jeopardy because of false teaching and angry disputes.
The verses we are talking about this week, are not vague abstractions about sowing and reaping. Paul’s whole letter has been aimed at helping the Galatian church recover the true gospel and live together as family.
Ideally, families love and take care of one another, but it can be hard. We can be tempted to give up on one another and decide it’s just not worth it. I can imagine many of the Galatian Christians doing just that. But as we move from their context to our own, we will find Paul’s exhortation in these verses as relevant now as it was then.
Read
Galatians 6:9-10
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Do you ever find yourself weary in doing good? How so? Can you trace the source of that weariness?
Reflect
I read several commentaries to prepare the Engage God Daily for you. Sometimes I come across a section that is so right on that I think, “there’s no way I could explain that better.” I found one of those this week, so I thought I’d just share it with you in full.
Walter Hansen beautifully explains this passage:
“Growth in our relationships does not happen automatically; growth takes effort. Hard work is required if broken relationships are to be rebuilt. In these two verses Paul simply encourages Christians to keep on working at building their relationships: Let us not become weary in doing good (v. 9). To say that Paul’s emphasis on faith means that he was against works is obviously an inaccurate interpretation. Although he warned against relying on the works of the law as the basis of blessing (3:10–14), he clearly taught that true faith expresses itself through love (5:6) and in the hard work of serving one another (5:13) and carrying each other’s burdens (6:2).”
“One of the greatest obstacles to rebuilding broken relationships is simply fatigue. We can easily lose heart and run out of strength when we come up against the same problems over and over again as we deal with others. Even Paul sounds discouraged when he talks about his efforts to rebuild his relationship with the Galatian believers: ‘I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you’ (4:11). Paul recognized that fatigue and discouragement might cause Christians to throw in the servant’s towel and quit. So he presents two incentives to keep us from giving up when we grow weary of serving others in love. First, he assures us of a reward for doing good: at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (v. 9). Sometimes the harvest is experienced in this life. When we sow acts of love, we reap a harvest of love in return. When we give generously and sacrificially to the needs of others, we reap a harvest of gratitude as those needs are met. When we sow the seed of God’s Word in needy lives, we experience the joy of response. But we must remember that reaping a harvest almost never happens on the same day as sowing the seed. We may not even see a harvest in this life from what we have sown. Nevertheless, we must never give up, because we know that at the proper time our Master will return and reward those who have been faithful servants.”[1]
[1] G. Walter Hansen, Galatians, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), Ga 6:9–10.
Respond
Let’s not give up! The Spirit will give us peace and endurance when we are tempted. He will work in, through, and with us to produce a harvest that will last into eternity! Ask him to encourage and strengthen you in your good work today.
If you’re feeling weary, share that burden with someone else, someone who will pray for you and encourage you. You’re not sowing alone!